1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a novel pharmaceutical utilization of diethylaminoethyl dextran (DEAE-D) in a treatment for decreasing hyperglycemia in subjects suffering from a high glucidic level in blood.
The use of DEAE-D is particularly advantageous for diabetic patients.
2. Description of the prior art
DEAE-D is a well known substance which has found therapeutic utility for its antisteatogenous and hypolipidemizing activity at the intestinal level, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,826.
More recently it was discovered that DEAE-D in an acute administration is useful for decreasing the post prandial hyperinsulinemia.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,178, DEAE-D can be used for treating patients suffering from hypoglycemia caused by some form of hyperinsulinemia, in order to lower the insulin level and to raise the glucidic level in blood.
It has now suprisingly been found that DEAE-D can also be used therapeutically for a completely reversed utilization, namely for lowering the glucidic level in blood.
This fact is the more suprising, as the teaching of the prior art was leading to deny any interference of the substance in decreasing the glucosic metabolism. In fact the utility in endogenous and reactive hypoglycemia would not imply that DEAE-D could also be active in hyperglycemia.
In fact it appears now that DEAE-D has a controlling activity on an altered glucosic metabolism, which is the more unexpected as there is no other substance known which could effect such a double action, in an apparently counteracting manner.
Substances are known, in fact, which show either only a hypoglycemizing activity, such as sulphonylureas, or only a hyperglycemizing activity, such as glucagone.